Bible Verses for Encouragement: 10 Scriptures to Lift You When You're Running Low

There's a specific kind of tired that comes before discouragement sets in. You can feel it - the motivation draining, the sense that what you're doing doesn't matter, the creeping question of whether to keep going at all.

Generic pep talks don't touch that kind of tired. What you need is something with weight to it.

These 10 Bible verses for encouragement aren't Instagram captions. They're anchors that have held people through genuine hardship for centuries. Use them when you're on the edge of giving up - or send them to someone who is.

Explore our Bible Verse Randomizer to get an encouraging scripture whenever you need one.

1. Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

Notice the progression: soaring, running, walking. Encouragement here isn't always the spectacular surge of eagles. Sometimes it's the quiet grace to keep walking when you can barely lift your feet. The promise is for all three stages. Whatever pace you're at right now - this verse covers it.

2. Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

"This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

God said this to Joshua the moment Moses died and the weight of leading a nation fell on him. It was a direct command, not a suggestion. And it came with a reason: not your ability, not your track record, but the presence of God. Wherever you go is not an exaggeration. Whatever room you're in, whatever you're facing - He's there.

3. Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

Paul wrote this from prison. Not from a victory lap. The "everything" isn't about superhuman achievement - it's about endurance in all circumstances, including circumstances you'd never choose. The source of strength isn't willpower. It's a living relationship that produces capacity you don't manufacture yourself.

4. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

"Everything" is the word that lands. Not the good things. Not the easy things. Everything - including the thing that broke you, the situation that made no sense, the loss you're still carrying. This isn't a promise that everything is good. It's a promise that nothing is wasted.

5. Hebrews 10:36 (NLT)

"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

Sometimes encouragement isn't a feeling - it's the grit to stay in it. Patient endurance is a skill, not a personality trait. This verse frames perseverance as what you need right now, in this moment. The promise is concrete: receive what God has promised. There's a then. You just have to get there.

6. Psalm 34:18 (NLT)

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."

This verse does something remarkable - it locates God nearest to the people in the worst shape. Not the triumphant. Not the thriving. The brokenhearted. The crushed in spirit. If that describes where you are right now, you are precisely where God draws close. That is not a metaphor. That is a promise.

7. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)

"For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!"

Paul called his "present troubles" small and temporary - a man who had been beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, and left for dead. He was not minimizing suffering. He was putting it in scale. Whatever you're enduring is producing something of eternal weight. The math is wildly in your favor, even when it doesn't feel like it.

8. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

When you've failed, fallen back, or let yourself down again - this verse is a reset. Not because you earned it. Because His mercies are new every morning regardless. You don't have to carry yesterday into today. That's not wishful thinking. That's the faithfulness of God.

9. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

When the work feels pointless, this verse reframes the question. The metric isn't visible impact or recognition. If you're working for the Lord, nothing is wasted. Not the behind-the-scenes effort, not the labor no one notices, not the small faithful acts done in obscurity. Nothing.

10. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you."

Two movements: God goes ahead of you AND God is with you. He's already in what you haven't reached yet. And He stays with you through the journey. No failure from His side. No abandonment. That's not a general spiritual sentiment - it's a specific covenant promise from a God who has kept every single one He's ever made.

FAQ

What Bible verse is best for encouragement? Isaiah 40:31 is one of the most beloved - "those who trust in the Lord will find new strength." For more options, our Bible verse tool surfaces scriptures matched to your need.

Where in the Bible does it talk about encouragement? Throughout - Psalms, Proverbs, the letters of Paul, and the words of Jesus all contain extensive encouragement. Romans 15:4 says scripture itself was "written for our learning, so that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

What's a good verse to send someone who is struggling? Psalm 34:18 ("The Lord is close to the brokenhearted") or Lamentations 3:22-23 (mercies new every morning) are both powerful and personal enough to mean something to someone in a hard season.

How do I use scripture for daily encouragement? Keep one verse somewhere visible and return to it throughout the day. Use our randomizer tool to get a fresh encouraging verse each day.

Need an encouraging verse right now? Use our Bible Verse Randomizer - built to surface the right scripture at the right moment.